Smells like Teen... Beer-it

My relationship with Brooklyn Brewery goes back as long as I've been drinking beer for pleasure. I credit the company for introducing me to non-mainstream beers during college, but as my palette has matured since then (there is no way to say that without sounding like a huge asshole and/or pussy, I checked), Brooklyn now seems a bit... simple. Safe. Bland. At least compared with the endless array of craft beers in the market. It probably didn't help that Brooklyn's beers were so readily available in the shitty gas station next to my post college apartment.

In a way, Brooklyn Brewery is to beer what Nirvana was to music in the 90s. They both brought an "alternative" product to the mainstream, and they both dealt with a similar backlash as a direct result of their success. Maybe if Brooklyn Beer committed suicide, people would have more respect for it. Its 27th birthday isn't too far off...

Don't get me wrong, I like Brooklyn. Yes, they make a tame beverage, but they make a solid one too. There are plenty of nights where solid is exactly what I'm looking for, and tonight was one of those.

Despite the stigma against beers named after the season for which they are brewed (many people see this to be a lame marketing ploy, which I'm sure it is), I do have a soft spot for Brooklyn Summer. It's a pretty simple beer - light and citrusy, it makes me feel like rooftop BBQs and chafed taints are just around the corner.